So called micro compact mobility such as a micro compact electric vehicle has been developed and spread in recent years. This is because that energy saving and CO2 reduction have been demanded, and in a situation that aging, depopulation and abandonment of public transportation in local areas have been progressing, the micro compact mobility is expected to be a new means of transportation because it can be activated by small power, is easy to be driven by an elderly person and can be provided at a low price. For example, as such micro compact mobility, a one-seated micro compact electric vehicle “Coms” is sold by Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd.
The present invention provides a vehicle body particularly suitable for micro compact mobility such as a micro compact electric vehicle, being lightweight, having a good field of view during driving, is simple in production, and has rigidity required as a vehicle body.
Synthetic resin has been conventionally used for a vehicle body having a lighter weight, as shown in Japanese Patents JP-A-61-166776, JP-A-5-185953, and JP-A- 59-40980.
Japanese Patent JP-A-61-166776 discloses integrally molding a lower half part of a vehicle body by press molding of a metal plate such as a steel plate or a fiber-reinforced synthetic resin material such as FRP for a one- or two-seated compact vehicle body.
Japanese Patent JP-A-5-185953 discloses a vehicle body assembly for use in small vehicles, such as lawn and garden tractors formed by connecting a thin-walled upper member made of plastic which provides a high gloss surface and a lower member made of fiber reinforced plastic, wherein at least three multi-sided closed sectioned compartments are formed by the upper and lower members in order to improve hardness or rigidity of the assembly.
Japanese Patent JP-A-59-40980 discloses a vehicle body in which all of numerous main parts such as a lower body, a side member, a lower body, an inner, an upper body outer, a hood, a front bumper, a rear bumper and a roof are made of synthetic resin, wherein high rigidity of the vehicle body can be maintained by forming a reinforced part which has a substantially box shape cross-section, and is open downward so as to surround a whole outer periphery of the lower body, and forming a bulge part passing a front and rear direction in a center part of the lower body.
Synthetic resin has lower rigidity than a steel plate. When synthetic resin is used for a structural member such as a lower body, problems occur such that rigidity of a vehicle body tends to be lower, control property changes by deformation of the vehicle body while driving, and control stability worsens.
For the above reason, in Japanese Patents JP-A-61-166776 and JP-A-5-185953, a lower body (lower half vehicle body, lower member) is made of fiber reinforced plastic such as FRP, which requires time and labor to form the lower body. Further, in Japanese Patent JP-A-59-40980,a lower body is made of synthetic resin similar to be used in numerous main parts such as a side member, an upper body inner and an upper body outer. However, the number of the parts constituting the vehicle body is large, time and labor are required to form and assemble the parts. In addition, the document does not disclose any means to secure a space capable of mounting a battery and fix the battery to 5 be mounted in the space.